Sextet Faces Rugged Christmas Slate; Battles Providence Tonight at Garden

While the rest of the college is home fattening itself up on Christman turkey, Harvard's hockey varsity will be in Boston staying in shape against four of the toughest teams in the country.

Three of the Crimson's foes will be last season's Eastern and national champions and this year's pre-season choice as the best in the East. The only qualification of the fourth team, Northeastern, is that it has already beaten Harvard 6-2 this season.

Tonight at 9 p.m. in the Boston Garden Festival Harvard faces Providence, last year's Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference champion. A week from Monday, on December 28, the sextet meets last season's national champion Michigan at 9 p.m. in the first night of the Boston Arena Christmas Tournament. The next two nights the Crimson skates at 7 p.m., first against Boston University and then Northeastern.

The prospects of a merry Christmas are far from bright. In Wednesday's 9-2 collapse against Brown, Harvard's defense was just about non-existent. Time after time Bruin forwards, Jeff unguarded in front of the Crimson net, scored by picking up a loose puck which the defense couldn't clear.

Meanwhile the Crimson attack, which only rarely completed a pass play, hardly ever tested the Brown goalie. Unless Coach Cooney Weiland's forces can do an about-face, they're going to have plenty of trouble with the brutal holiday opposition.

Tonight's Boston Garden contest with Providence follows a 7 p.m. game between Northeastern and R.P.I. The Friars, with most of last season's Eastern champions back, are only 2-1-1 against this year's improved Eastern opposition.

After losing its opening game 6-1 to Boston College, Providence has topped Merimack 6-2, tied rugged R.P.I. 3-3, and beaten vastly improved Yale 5-3.

The Boston Arena Christmas Tournament during the week between Christmas and New Year's is a round-robin affair with three national powers and Harvard. Michigan, the Crimson's first opponent on Monday, Dec. 28, has already beaten Denver, the pre-season pick as the best team in the nation, by a 3-2 count.

Boston University, along with Army, one of the two undefeated teams in the East, is Harvard's opponent Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Terriers are merely the pre-season choice as the best in the East, not the entire country.

Harvard played far and away its best hockey of the year a week and a half ago against the Terriers. B.U. held the Crimson attack in complete control in that match, but couldn't crack Harvard's fired-up defense until three minutes into a sudden-death overtime to win 1-0. If Harvard can come up with a similar performance December 29, this one could at least be close.

Wednesday at 7 p.m. the Crimson closes out the holiday schedule against hard-driving Northeastern. The Huskies boast a 6-1 record, including a 6-2 rout of Harvard and a 4-2 victory over powerful Brown.

But the game to watch Wednesday will be played at 9 p.m., when B.U., the best in the East, meets Michigan, the best in the West. This could easily be a preview of the March NCAA tournament, which decides the national champion.